50 Mile Ride with Tri-RATS

I have mixed feelings about today's ride. Not crazy about the 34 degrees at start time, but finishing at 54 degrees in full sun was fantastic.

Ragnar's Reefer-Smoking Kid Brother

What is on the race calendar this year?  Dear reader, I'm glad you asked!

Ragnar is experimenting with trail relays.  They are like the regular Ragnar relays, except totally different.  Yes, each team runs continuously through Friday night into Saturday, but there are significant differences:

• 8-man or 4-man ultra teams run a total of around 125 miles.
• The relay is focused on a campsite in WV, where teams establish a permanent camp.
• The course is three looping trails, each of which will be run by every member of the team (or twice for 4-man teams).  No 200-mile point-to-point.
• No vans, limited volunteer responsibilities, no running on the shoulder of a 55mph road in the middle of the night, live music and campfires, etc.

The West Virginia edition of the Ragnar Trail is taking place June 7-8 about a half hour west of Cumberland, MD.  I look at it as a trail-based Ragnar with none of the irritating stuff.  I suspect that the race will attract a slightly different crowd.  Fewer mommybloggers and more dreadlocks. Fewer minivans with soccer ball stickers and more jeeps with Grateful Dead stickers. 

http://www.ragnartrailrelay.com/locations/appalachians-wv

The current plan is to run this as a 4-man ultra team.  15 miles seemed like too short of a running assignment; 30 miles each might be the end of us.  Stay tuned!